Process for preparing alkoxypolyoxyalkylene (meth) acrylates

1. A process for preparing an alkoxypolyoxyalkylene (meth)acrylate without isolation of intermediates comprising:

initially charging at least one metal alkoxide having the formula

MetOR 10

to a reactor;

adding at least one alcohol having the formula

R 12 OH

to the reactor;

pumping at least one alkylene oxide of the formula (VI) into the reactor and

reacting the at least one alkylene oxide of the formula (VI) with the metal alkoxide having the formula MetOR 10 to form an intermediate reaction product;

and

directly adding (meth)acrylic anhydride to the reactor; and

reacting the (meth)acrylic anhydride with the intermediate reaction product to obtain the alkoxypolyoxyalkylene (meth)acrylate;

wherein

Met is lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium or cesium,

R 110 is a linear or branched alkyl radical,

the R 11 radicals are each independently hydrogen or a linear or branched alkyl radical having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, and the R 11 radicals are same or different,

R 12 is a linear or branched, optionally alkoxylated alkyl radical having 1 to 18 carbon atoms,

a molar mass of R 12 is less than a molar mass of the alkoxypolyoxyalkylene (meth)acrylate.

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein R 10 is methyl, ethyl or tert-butyl.

3. The process according to claim 1 , wherein R 10 and R 12 are the same alkyl radical.

4. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one alkylene oxide of the formula (VI) is ethylene oxide and/or propylene oxide.

5. The process according to claim 1 , wherein a stabilizer or a stabilizer mixture is present in the reacting of the (meth)acrylic anhydride with the reaction product to obtain the alkoxypolyoxyalkylene (meth)acrylate.

6. The process according to claim 5 , wherein a weight ratio of (meth)acrylic anhydride:stabilizer or stabilizer mixture is in the range of 100:0.5-15.0.

7. The process according to claim 5 , wherein

a stabilizer mixture is present, and

the stabilizer mixture comprises:

at least one compound of the formula (I)

wherein the R 1 radicals are each independently hydrogen, a linear or branched alkyl radical, an optionally substituted cycloalkyl radical, an optionally substituted aryl radical or a halogen, and

R 2 is a linear or branched alkyl radical, an optionally substituted cycloalkyl radical or an optionally substituted aryl radical;

at least one compound of the formula (II)

or of the formula (IV)

wherein the R 3 , R 4 and R 5 radicals are each independently hydrogen, a linear or branched alkyl radical, an optionally substituted cycloalkyl radical, an optionally substituted aryl radical, a halogen or a radical of the formula (III)

wherein R 6 is a linear or branched alkyl radical having 1 to 6 carbon atoms,

R 7 is hydrogen or a linear or branched alkyl radical, and

R 8 is a monovalent alkyl group or divalent alkylene group; and

at least one compound of the formula (V)

wherein the R 9 radicals are each independently a linear or branched alkyl radical or an optionally substituted cycloalkyl radical.

8. The process according to claim 7 , wherein an amount of the stabilizer mixture is from 50 ppm to 5000 ppm, based on the sum of the masses of the reaction product, the (meth)acrylic anhydride and at least one alcohol.

9. The process according to claim 1 , wherein a temperature of the reaction of the at least one alkylene oxide of the formula (VI) with the metal alkoxide having the formula MetOR 10 to form a reaction product is in the range of 60° C. to 150° C.

10. The process according to claim 9 , wherein the reaction temperature is in the range of 90° C. to 110° C.

11. The process according to claim 1 , wherein a molar ratio of the (meth)acrylic anhydride to the metal alkoxide is in a range of 1:1 to 3:1.

12. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the reactants are dried and anhydrous conditions are maintained in the reactions.

13. A process for preparing an alkoxypolyoxyalkylene (meth)acrylate without isolation of intermediates comprising:

initially charging at least one metal alkoxide having the formula

MetOH

to a reactor;

adding at least one alcohol having the formula

R 12 OH

to the reactor to form a alcohol-metal hydroxide mixture;

dewatering the alcohol-metal hydroxide mixture;

pumping at least one alkylene oxide of the formula (VI) into the reactor and

reacting the at least one alkylene oxide of the formula (VI) with the dewatered alcohol-metal hydroxide mixture to form an intermediate reaction product;

directly adding (meth)acrylic anhydride to the reactor; and

reacting the (meth)acrylic anhydride with the intermediate reaction product to obtain the alkoxypolyoxyalkylene (meth)acrylate;

wherein

Met is lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium or cesium,

R 110 is a linear or branched alkyl radical,

the R 11 radicals are each independently hydrogen or a linear or branched alkyl radical having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, and the R 11 radicals are same or different,

R 12 is a linear or branched, optionally alkoxylated alkyl radical having 1 to 18 carbon atoms,

a molar mass of R 12 is less than a molar mass of the alkoxypolyoxyalkylene (meth)acrylate.

14. The process according to claim 13 , wherein a molar ratio of the (meth)acrylic anhydride to the metal hydroxide is in a range of 1:1 to 3:1.

15. The process according to claim 13 , wherein the reactants are dried and anhydrous conditions are maintained in the reactions.